


Brother of Dragons

by Leopardmask



Category: Hermitcraft RPF
Genre: Befriending the Monster, Dragons, Fantasy AU, Gen, Minor eye gouge alert, Secret Santa Fic, Story within a Story
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-26
Updated: 2020-12-26
Packaged: 2021-03-10 22:41:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,737
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28341075
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Leopardmask/pseuds/Leopardmask
Summary: A dragon has been terrorizing the kingdom for weeks. The last group of warriors to face it were presumed dead, and a party of adventurers-for-hire from a neighboring kingdom have answered the call-to-arms. But by the time they reach the kingdom, it may be too late...
Comments: 13
Kudos: 24





	Brother of Dragons

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Interjection](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Interjection/gifts).



The tavern in Deshu’khovaia was quietly bustling as usual, when a small band of travelers arrived. They all looked to be the adventuring type, with basic armor, rough clothes, and weapons strapped across their backs. The tallest one walked up to the barkeep and passed a few coins over the counter. “We’d like a drink for each of us and a place to stay the night, please.”

The barkeep nodded and turned to her taps. One of the other adventurers, a brave dwarven spearman, spoke up. “We came here because we heard there was a dragon terrorizing this kingdom. We want to help; where can we find this dragon?”

“You’re a bit late, friends,” came a voice from a nearby table. The adventurer who had spoken turned to see an elf sitting casually at a table, smiling gently at them. He wore humble clothes, with a strange pattern on his shirt that was quickly hidden as he leaned forward. “Our little problem has been all taken care of.”

“The dragon has been slain already?” The spearman questioned.

“‘Slain’ is not the word I would use.” The elf gestured for the travelers to sit at his table. “Mostly because it’s not what happened. Would you like to hear the tale?”

"We would love to," the tall warrior replied. "Are you the one who defeated the beast?"

The elf chuckled. "Me? No, I myself am a humble poet. Joseph of the Hills, they call me - or just Joe to my friends, which is most people. I have been composing an ode to the events that transpired, as they were quite unique indeed."

A soft sound drew their attention to the next table over, where another elf had started playing an unusual string instrument. He winked at them. "This is my brother," Joe explained. "He composes poems and songs as well, and often likes to play music to accompany my ballads."

Over the music, Joe adopted the pose of an artist, and began to weave his tale.

\-----

"The tale begins in Ethsheam, kingdom fair,

With dragon's flight - a monster from the air!

Green of eye and ruby red of scale,

No man could face it; all were doomed to fail.

'Hear ye, hear ye,' the messengers cried throughout the land. 'The king offers great reward to any hero who brings proof of the dragon's fall!'

Mere days had passed since the dragon appeared in the western sky, and already it was clear that the dragon was foe and not friend. No city, town, village, or homestead in its path escaped without a loss of livestock, property, or people. Whatever was not consumed by the dragon, was consumed by its fiery breath, and whoever lived to tell about it, didn't live for long. Survivors told of a great red beast, its scales like rubies and its wings the color of blood, so big that its shadow passing over a town might be mistaken for a cloud, if not for the roar that froze the soul of all who heard. Some say those who dropped dead from fright at the sound were the lucky ones, for they would not see the dragon's horns and claws and teeth gleaming like steel in the light of its all-destroying fire.

Knights and warriors from all across the kingdom gathered to fend off the dragon. But they fell as easily as townspeople, to gnashing teeth and razing fire. Many brave souls were lost, before the king realized that all the noble brute force of man could not stand against a monster such as this. And so, he called on a less noble force: thieves, criminals, rogues, assassins. Those who hid in the shadows, who were skilled at avoiding those who intended them harm. If they could dodge the law, the king reasoned, they could dodge a dragon. Knowing that men of their nature would hesitate to stand before him and be known, the king declared that all who volunteered to assassinate the dragon would be officially pardoned of all their past crimes, and the ones who defeated the dragon would receive rich reward. Among the contenders was a human from the small town of Deshu'khovaia, a mage expertly trained in the powers of ice, who, like many others, had a past they were all too willing to forget.

To castle strong rode Iskall, man of night,

An icy rogue who'd never lost a fight.

Their magic, so unmatched in shady street,

And strength, they showed, the dragon to defeat."

\---

A hearty laugh interrupted Joe. It came from a person two tables down, wearing an eyepatch over a still-healing scar across their left eye. “You always know how to flatter people, don’t you? You make me sound stronger than the Void Wizard! I only know a few ice spells, and I barely even used them.”

Joe grinned at him. “Well, that is the job of a bard, after all. We can build you up or tear you down with equal ease and exaggeration. Better to be mistaken for a powerful mage than for a driveling fool, wouldn’t you agree?”

The speaker - Iskall, the adventurers presumed - rolled their eye at Joe, still chuckling, and returned to their drink.

Joe turned back to the party. “Shall we continue?”

\---

“So impressed was the king by Iskall's dexterity, cleverness, and magic, that he would send Iskall alone to do the deed. But Iskall was more clever than the king, and knew that even the most skilled of souls would be foolish to face a dragon alone - and without the proper tools. So they called upon an old friend, a certain renowned elven inventor from the neighboring town of Shar Lassinn.

Etho, man of mystery and mask,

What he hid, no one would dare to ask.

Creations from his brilliant mind did spill;

No one could ever hope to match his skill.

The Masked Artificer of Shar Lassinn cut a striking image wherever he went, with snow-pale hair and the eponymous cloth across his face. The mask was a source of endless gossip and tales - did it hide scars? Disfigurement? Some telltale sign of a lineage unbecoming of an elf? Some even say that he had nothing to hide; he just enjoyed the thought of making others think he did. For that was befitting of Etho - neither Shar Lassinn nor the kingdom of Ethsheam was a stranger to the antics, nor inventions, that came from his unique brilliance. He might have been a bard, if the inclination had taken him, or a masterful assassin like Iskall, had he found himself on the wrong side of the law. Instead, he became a master of mechanics, making a myriad of marvels for the missions and merriment of men.

For Iskall’s mission, Etho crafted a bow of uncanny strength, which used gears to draw the bowstring at greater strength than any mortal could hope for, and a scope that fit over Iskall’s left eye, which granted them uncanny aim against faraway targets. Despite the protesting of his friends in Shar Lassinn, Etho also insisted that he would travel with Iskall, and Iskall agreed, for they knew Etho was as nimble and stealthy as they were, and they knew that it was best to travel in groups, to defend each other and help keep the watches of the night. Together, they set out to track the dragon, hoping to find it asleep in its lair, engrossed in a hunt, or otherwise distracted.

But ho - the dragon found them first! A mere two days into their journey, the dragon’s shadow passed overhead. Its scales glittered in the rising morning light; each wingbeat sounded like the beat of a drum. It spotted them, and it roared its terrible roar, but neither man so much as flinched at the sound. Iskall pulled an arrow from their quiver and whispered a spell so that the point would freeze whatever it touched. They shifted the scope over their eye, nocked the arrow in their bow, drew the string, and followed the motion of the dragon’s flight.

With expert skill and tools to aid his eye,

The icy arrow flew across the sky.

With both in flight, the dragon's speed prevailed,

It turned, escaped with only wing impaled.

The dragon roared again, in pain from the freezing arrow. When it saw Iskall, saw the technological marvels responsible for hurting it, it dove, faster than seemed possible for a beast of its size. The dragon struck before they could escape, and ripped the scope off Iskall’s head, deeply clawing Iskall’s eye as it did. In the same motion, its other talon snapped the beautiful bow like a twig. As Etho rushed to Iskall’s aid, the dragon flew away, carrying the broken treasures with it back to its lair.

Etho rushed Iskall to the closest town, a settlement known as Revar, for healing and rest. Aid was delivered kindly, but Iskall was impatient to return to the quest, so after a scant few days, they moved to convince the healers of Revar that they were well enough to set out once more. The healers refused, at first, but could not keep such determined adventurers for long. With some reluctance, they let Iskall go, sending with them more bandages and medicine to use while in the wilds. 

This time, they were more careful to remain unseen, and over the course of many days, the heroes tracked the dragon to its lair. When the dragon next left for a hunt, they snuck into the cave, and were struck with awe at what rested inside. The dragon's hoard stretched from wall to wall, shining trinkets given equal favor with gold and gems. The dragon had tossed the artifacts that it had stolen from Iskall unceremoniously at the edge of the pile, and Etho recognized more stolen machines of his invention buried deeper in the expanse of metal, glass, and gem.

But they weren't here to steal from the dragon, for they knew such an act would only lead to suffering. They were here to wait for the dragon's return. And wait they did, hidden among more riches than either could have ever imagined.

It was many long hours before the dragon returned, its claws strangely empty of prey. As it curled up to rest, the two hidden heroes saw how such a destructive force could hunt all day and catch nothing: just as Iskall's left eye had been taken by the dragon, the dragon's right eye had been taken by man. A knight had made a lucky shot, it seemed, but perished to the dragon's wrath before his triumph could be told.

The dragon now its greatest weakness hid,

And all could guess what Iskall almost did -

But dragon's plight felt so much like their own,

They showed themself, to face the beast alone.

Iskall approached the dragon on its left, putting themself in full view of the dragon's remaining eye, spreading their hands wide in a gesture of good will. The dragon watched, it growled, and it seemed at first that the dragon finally had some easy prey. Etho, still concealed, quietly drew his sword, preparing to retaliate...

But the attack never came. The dragon relaxed its stance, and so too did Iskall. They stepped closer, closer, until they were near enough to reach out and touch the dragon's scales. They stood like this for seconds, minutes, and the dragon made no advance. Finally, Iskall boldly rested their hand on the dragon’s neck, stroking it gently below the ridge of spines along its back. The dragon flinched at first, but quickly gave itself over to the kind treatment.

Still wary, Etho sheathed his sword. But so nervous was the normally unshakeable inventor that his hand slipped, and his sword touched a silver goblet with the tiniest  _ clink. _

Instantly, the dragon raised its head, ready to destroy the source of the sound. 'No!' cried Iskall, climbing the dragon's hoard to put themself between the dragon and their friend, preparing to cast a shield of ice against the dragon's fire. 'I beg you, do not harm him! He is my friend, and will not threaten you! Etho, come forward, so the dragon can see us both.'

So Etho did, creeping round the hoard to face the dragon, and the dragon gave him a wary glare, but did not harm him, for he was the companion of the dragon's new friend, and the dragon would not risk that friendship.

The heroes stayed with the dragon for many days, so long that the outside world had begun to think them dead. Iskall hunted alongside the dragon, and sometimes even from the dragon’s back, keeping it well away from any settlements and livestock. With dragon’s left eye and Iskall’s right, together the pair could see the world as a whole. Etho used the supplies from Revar to clean and heal the dragon's wound as he had for Iskall, and demonstrated to the dragon some of his inventions that it kept in its hoard. Though they were never designed for its wicked claws to use, the dragon was fascinated by the marvels that Etho showed, and Etho promised he would modify a few for the dragon's pleasure.

But they could not hide the dragon forever, and all too soon, it was decided that Iskall must bring the dragon to the king.

The team they formed, the dragon, elf, and man,

Could not return to town without a plan.

On foot they trekked, avoiding prying eyes;

The forest leaves would be their best disguise.

It was midnight when they arrived at the wall of the capital. Iskall entered in to request audience with the king and explain what had occurred.

The king could not believe that such a monstrous beast could be tamed - nay,  _ befriended. _ But, though his guards objected, he trusted his chosen hero, and followed the icy assassin out into the night.

The king did not trust the dragon. The dragon did not trust the king. But neither wished to earn the ire of the other, nor of the human who introduced them, and so they came to an uneasy truce. The king was nonetheless impressed with Iskall's work in bringing the dragon so far, and conceded to them the victory of preventing further destruction - for in their understanding, the dragon would learn to live in peace with the citizens of the land. The king warned them, though, that the dragon must never return to its old ways, under penalty of both their deaths.

Reward in hand, Iskall finally returned to their home of Deshu'khovaia, bringing with them the dragon, to live there, and Etho, to visit. Etho had work to do: Iskall tasked him with crafting new weapons for him, and a riding harness for the dragon. Ideas also began to boil in Etho's dazzling mind for ways he might replace, or improve upon, both of his friends’ lost eyes. As their adventures were told by one and all, Iskall became known far and wide as Iskall, Brother Of Dragons.

So Iskall soothed the savage beast of yore,

And brother made, though its fierce mark they wore.

Through thick and thin, unlikeliest of friends,

This wonder brings our story to its end.”

\-----

For a few minutes, the room sat in impressed and respectful silence. 

“We were called,” the tall adventurer finally said, “because we had heard that all who came before us had died in the attempt. Apparently, that’s not quite true, is it?”

“Happily, the news of their probable deaths was exaggerated,” Joe confirmed. “As you can see right here in this tavern.”

Iskall grinned at the group and spoke again: “Now, Joe didn’t mention it, because I guess it’s not dramatic and mean-sounding enough, but I started calling the dragon Sunshine while we were living in his cave. Don’t ask me why, but he seems to like that name, so it stuck.”

“A good name,” declared a woman in the adventuring group, “for a red beast that shines in the sky. May we meet Sunshine?”

Iskall winced. “He’s still getting used to people in Deshu’khovaia, and people are still getting used to him. We don’t need adventurers carrying weapons around him.”

“Understood,” the tall adventurer replied, standing up from the table. His party followed suit. “Well, we won’t overstay our welcome, then. Tomorrow we’ll head to the capital. Reckon the king will still give us something for trying?”

**Author's Note:**

> This is a secret santa fic for Interjection! The prompt given was “I just really want a D&D style fantasy AU with a few of the characters I listed. Iskall as some sort of rogue or assassin, Joe is some elven poet or something, go wild with imagination on Mumbo or Etho. That's basically my prompt. Doesn't need to include all four of them, if you have an idea that works really well with just one or two that's fine also.” I also very vaguely used the song [The Girl and the Clockwork Dragon](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H67bBn3IYuY) as inspiration.
> 
> There are a number of little easter eggs and references in here! Can you find them all? Translating names isn't the only place you'll find them, but here are some translators that might help you: [D&D Elvish,](https://www.dndbeyond.com/linkout?remoteUrl=https%253a%252f%252flingojam.com%252fCommontoElvish\(D%252526D\)) [D&D Celestial,](https://www.dndbeyond.com/linkout?remoteUrl=https%253a%252f%252flingojam.com%252fD%252526DCelestial) [D&D Drowish](https://www.dndbeyond.com/linkout?remoteUrl=https%253a%252f%252flingojam.com%252fDrowishTranslator)


End file.
